Hugging doll



Sept. 11, 1962 M. PELUNIS HUGGING DOLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 9,1961 Sept. 11, 1962 L. M. PELUNIS 3,053,008

HUGGING DOLL Filed Oct. 9, 1961 2 Sheec.sSheet 2 FIG. 3

I NVENTOR. (627% PAZ 0/146 United States Patent Office 3,053,088Patented Sept. 11, 1962 3,053,608 HUGGWG DQLL Lee M. Pelunis, 154 BayBlvd, Atlantic Beach, N.Y. Filed Oct. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 143,653 6Claims. (Cl. 46-119) This invention relates to the class of dolls andmore particularly to a doll provided with articulated limbs and havingmeans for causing movement of the arms upon squeezing of the body of thedoll.

Dolls, as well as many other toys, have increased play value when theyare provided with means for causing movement of parts thereof. In thecase of dolls, there have been produced various devices for articulatingthe limbs to the body and for causing movement of the head, legs, orarms. However, in the past in order to achieve movement of the legs orarms, various complicated linkages and/or complex mechanisms wererequired. It is therefore the primary object of the present invention toprovide a relatively simple device which can be installed in the body ofa doll which can be used for causing movement of the arms of the doll ina realistic manner.

When a live human baby is picked up from a cradle, the instinct of thebaby is to hug the person picking the baby up. The arms of the baby willmove from a normal rest position to a position where they are extendedin front of the baby to hug the person picking up the baby. When thebaby is lifted, pressure is applied on the babys body especially in thechest and back area. When a child is playing with a doll, it willnormally pick up the doll much in the same manner as a baby is pickedup. The present invention contemplates the incorporation within the bodyof a doll of a mechanism whereby when the doll is picked up by the childgrasping the chest and back of the doll, the body will be somewhatdepressed or distorted and such action will cause the mechanism to movethe arms of the doll forwardly simulating the hugging action of a livebaby.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism forcausing motion of the arms of a doll to simulate a hugging action of alive baby, which mechanism is extremely simple in construction, having aminimum number of moving parts, and which can be conveniently installedin practically any size doll.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of amechanism for moving the arms of a doll to simulate a hugging actionwhich may be molded for the most part out of any readily availablesynthetic plastic material, which includes a leaf spring for positioningwithin the arms of the doll so that the arms of the doll may be movedseparately and distinctly from the hugging action and independently fromeach other should the child playing with the doll so desire, and whichmechanism is extremely light in weight, thereby not adding anyappreciable amount of weight to the doll.

An illustrative embodiment of the doll comprising the present inventionhas a hollow deformable body provided with a pair of hollow arms movablesecured thereto. An actuating mechanism is provided for moving the armsto simulate a hugging action and includes a front and rear member in thebody with the front member being pivotally connected to the rear member.A leaf spring is pivotally connected to the rear member at spacedlocations. The spring is provided with ends which extend into the armsof the doll and has a bowed portion between the pivotal locations whichis adapted to be engaged by the front member so that upon compressingthe hollow deformable body of the doll, the front member is pivotedtowards the rear member pressing the bowed center portion towards therear member so as to pivot the ends of the spring and hence pivot thearms towards each other in a hugging action.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a doll having arms movable to simulate a hugging actionwhich is simple in construction and employs a mechanism which isinexpensive to produce thereby permitting wide use and incorporation invarious existing types of dolls, and which is very strong and durable.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of theinvention which will become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, are attained by this hugging doll, a preferred embodiment ofwhich has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way ofexample only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a doll constructed in accordance withthe concepts of the present invention having the actuating mechanismmounted therewithin, the actuating mechanism being shown in phantomlines, the hugging position of the arms of the doll also being shown inphantom lines;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view in an enlarged scale of the actuatingmechanism;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View through the doll takenalong the plane of line 33 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the doll taken along theplane of line 44 in FIG. 3.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,an illustrative embodiment of the doll in accordance with the presentinvention is designated by reference numeral 10. This doll 10 has ahollow body 12 which is depressible and deformable. The body 12 has achest section 14 integrally formed with a back section 16 and when thechest section is pressed towards the back section, an actuatingmechanism 18 is operated. The doll 10 has a pair of arms 20 and 22articulated thereto and arranged for pivotal motion. The arms are alsohollow and jointed at 24 to the body 12. The doll may be provided with ahead and legs which may be conventionally articulated to the doll body12.

The actuating mechanism, which is seen best in FIG. 2, includes a backmember 26 which is arcuately contoured so that it may be convenientlydisposed in the body 12 of the doll 10 with the back member 26conforming generally to the contours of the back 16. The back member 26is preferably integrally molded and includes a pair of forwardlyextending lugs 28 and 30 attached to the bottom of the back member 26.Extending between the lugs 28 and St is a shaft 32 on which the frontmember 34 is rotatably mounted. The front member 34 has a portion 36 ofreduced dimensions which extends between the lugs 28 and 30 androtatably engages the shaft 32. The front member 34 has a convex outersurface 38 and a concave inner surface 40 and is provided with .a fiange42 at the uppermost part thereof. The front member 34 is adapted topivot from a position where the flange 42 is widely spaced from the rearmember 26 to a position wherein the flange 42 immediately underlies theplate 44 which is integrally formed with the rear member 26. The rearmember has the cross sectional shape generally of FIG. 3, being providedwith arcuate wing portions 46 and 48 spaced from the upper plate 44. TheWing portions 46 and 48 extend beyond the main portion of the rearmember 26 and together with the rear member 26, and the plate 44 from achannel 51 for receiving a leaf spring 52. A pair of pivot pins 54 and56 are preferably integrally formed with and extend between the plate 44and the wing portions 46 and 48. Of course, the pins 54 and 56 may beconstructed as to separate from the rear member 26 and secured in placeby any suitable means.

The leaf spring 52 has two arcuate end portions 55 and 57 which aresnugly received in the arms 20 and 22. Centrally disposed of the endportions 55, 57 is a bowed portion 60 which engages the concave innersurface 40 of the front member 34 beneath the flange 42 normally holdingthe front member 34 away from the rear member 26. The leaf spring 52further is pivoted about each of the pivot pins 54 and 56. Hence, whenthe bowed portion 60 is depressed by pushing the front member 34-towards the rear member 26 the end portions 55 and 57 of the spring 52are pivoted forwardly from the position as shown in the dotted lines inFIG. 3 to the position as shown in the phantom lines in FIG. 3. Thiscauses the arms 20 and 22 to pivot forwardly simulating the huggingaction of a live baby.

The wings 46 and 48 and the plate 44- are so arranged that even when theend portions 55 and 57 are pivoted forwardly as shown in the phantomlines of FIG. 3, the bight portions 70 and 72 of the spring 52 will beguarded by the Wing portion 46 and 48 and the plate 44 so that thespring does not contact the inner surface of the body 12 at any timeassuring a longer life for the doll and assuring that there will be anormal hugging action for the arms independent of where the body isgrasped just so long as the front member 34 is pressed towards the rearmember 26 depressing the bowed portion 60 of the spring 52.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in theforegoing disclosure and in some instances some features of theinvention will be employed without a corresponding use of otherfeatures. Accordingly it is appropriate that the appended claims beconstrued broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scopeof the invention herein.

What I claim is:

1. An actuating mechanism for the arms of a doll comprising a rearmember, said rear member having spaced lugs at the lowermost endthereof, a front member pivotally connected to said spaced lugs, saidrear member having a pair of spaced wing portions, spring means pivotedto said wing portions, said spring means having diverging arcuate endsextending beyond said wing portions and a bowed center portion extendingforwardly of said rear member, said front member being engageahle withsaid bowed center portion so that upon pivoting said front member towardsaid rear member said bowed center portion is pressed toward said rearmember pivoting said ends of said spring means towards each other.

2. In a doll having a hollow body and provided with hollow armsarticulated to said body for movement relative thereto, an actuationmechanism for moving said arms simulating a hugging action uponsqueezing of said body, said actuation mechanism comprising a pair ofmembers disposed in said body and pivoted to each other, a leaf springpivoted to one of said members at two spaced locations remote from wheresaid members are pivoted to each other, said spring having spaced endsoutwardly of said locations and a bowed central portion between saidlocations, said ends being disposed in and engaging said arms, the otherof said members engaging said bowed portion so that upon movement ofsaid members towards each other when said body is squeezed, said armswill be moved to simulate a hugging action, said one member having wingportions forming guards for said spring to prevent said spring fromengaging the bodv of the doll.

3. In a doll having a flexible hollow body and provided with movablehollow arms articulated to said body for movement relative thereto, anactuation mechanism for moving said arms towards each other to simulatea hugging action upon squeezing of said body, said actuation mechanismcomprising a rear member and a front memher disposed in said body andshaped to conform to the front and rear parts of said body, said rearmember having a pair of divergent wings, movable arm actuating memberspivotally mounted at the ends of said wings, said arm actuating membersextending into said hollow arms, a spring-loaded member connected at itsends to said arm actuating member and normally maintaining said frommember and said rear member in spaced apart relation and said armactuating members extending outwardly from said wings, said front memberbeing pivoted at its lower end to the lower end of said rear member, theupper portion of said front member engaging the central portion of saidspring loaded member, said front member being movable toward said rearmember to move the central portion of said spring-loaded member towardssaid rear member moving said ends of said spring-loaded memberrearwardly and outwardly of the pivotal mounts of said arm actuatingmembers so that said arm actuating members are pivoted inwardly to causesaid hollow arms to simulate a hugging action.

4. In a doll having a flexible hollow body and pro vided with movablehollow arms articulated to said body for movement relative thereto, anactuation mechanism for moving said arms toward each other to simulate ahugging action upon squeezing of said body, said actuation mechanismcomprising a rear member and a front member disposed in said body andshaped to conform to the front and rear parts of said body, said rearmember having a pair of divergent wings, movable arm actuating memberspivotally mounted at the ends of said wings, said arm actuating membersextending into said hollow arms, a spring-loaded member connected tosaid arm actuating members and normally maintaining said front memberand said rear member in spaced apart relation and said arm actuatingmembers extending outwardly from said wings, said front member beingpivoted at its lower end to the lower end of said rear member, the upperportion of said front member engaging said springloaded member, saidfront member being movable toward said rear member to pivot said armactuating members inwardly causing said hollow arms to simulate ahugging action.

5. An actuating mechanism comprising a rear member, said rear memberhaving a pair of spaced wing portions, 21 front member pivotallyconnected to said rear member, spring pressed means piv ted to Said wingportions, said spring pressed means having diverging ends extendingbeyond said wing portions and a forwardly extending center portion, saidfront member being engageable with said center portion so that uponpivoting said front member toward said rear member said center portionis pressed toward said rear member pivoting said ends of said springmeans towards each other.

6. In a doll having a hollow body and provided with hollow armsarticulated to said body for movement relative thereto, an actuationmechanism for moving said arms simulating a hugging action uponsqueezing of said body, said actuation mechanism comprising a pair ofmembers disposed in said body and mo-vably connected to each other,spring pressed means pivoted to one of said members at two spacedlocations remote from where said members are connected to each other,said spring pressed means having spaced ends outwardly of said locationsand a central portion between said locations, said ends being disposedin and engaging said arms, the other of said members engaging saidcentral portion so that upon movement of said members towards each otherwhen said body is squeezed said arms will be moved to simulate a huggingaction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,332,732 Lizzi Mar. 2, 1920 1,691,443 Lloyd Nov. 13, 1928 2,614,365Musselwhiteet al. Oct. 21, 1952

